An amazing astronomy video is making the rounds on the web this week showing comet PanSTARRS joined by a magnificent display of northern lights. Veteran astrophotographer Babak Tafreshi has trained his camera lens on a unique convergence of two cosmic events: the display of the icy visitor nearly 200 million of kilometers distant and the particularly haunting appearance of the aurora borealis.

PanSTARRS complete with its sweeping tail of gas and dust can be seen sinking quickly down toward the mountain range after nightfall just as the first hints of a twisting and winding light display kicks in, filling the crisp and cold skies. The beautiful footage was taken on the night of March 20, 2013 over the fjord near Tromso, Norway.

Comments

Debra Tate

United States

April 14, 2013, 7:02 pm

I lived in Alaska for 3 years and was just awe struck every time I saw the lights! Ice fog also! Driving in ice fog at night is like someone sprinkling sliver glitter in the car lights! They are both amazing to see and I will never forget their beauty. I hope someday to return and see them again.

Nilufa Nizar

dubai

April 13, 2013, 5:27 am

Thank you, to the photographer and National Geographic,
It impresses our mind and curiosity.
First time in my life to know and see about “Comet Aurora Arboreal”

Jenny

Philippines

April 12, 2013, 7:00 pm

Simple things are highly appreciated. Thank you for sharing.

Manali zaveri

India

April 11, 2013, 5:25 pm

Wow, what a fabulous spectrum of neon lights that lit up the sky. I think this video also witnessed a shooting star. Just amazing is the beauty of our cosmos, it always surprises us and taunts our intellects to explore the unknown. Sure! It impresses our minds and curiosity intensifies with more moments such as this–Auroras.

Maria Luisa Alvarez

aguascalientes México

April 11, 2013, 5:00 pm

Belleza! Impresionante. Beautiful.

mª carmen romero

spain

April 11, 2013, 4:05 pm

its beautiful, the wonders of space.

Michele Iannone

Bari - ITALY

April 11, 2013, 9:37 am

A big thankyou to National Geographic and, of course,
to the fotographer.
It has been the first time in my life, I saw and I understood how is the “aurora boreale”. .

Shirley

Texas.

April 11, 2013, 5:00 am

SO BEAUTIFUL, AND I BELIEVE THE HEAVENS ARE DANCING WITH THE ANGELS AND MAKING A JOYFUL NOISE UNTO ADOHNI ( The LORD) PRAISE YESHUA’S HOLY NAME.. BLESSED BE HIS NAME IN ALL THE HEAVENS AND EARTH.. AMEN..

Matt McCardle

Scottish Borders

April 11, 2013, 2:33 am

Did it require the soundtrack, which detracted from the beauty of the visuals…. sometimes silence is enough

Kiran mariet

Manglore

April 11, 2013, 12:57 am

It’s simply fantabulous …

Anthony

California

April 7, 2013, 12:34 pm

Simply beautiful. I will be posting this on my blog. I am now following this blog. Glad I stumbled onto it.

Bulent Atalay

Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA

April 7, 2013, 1:35 am

Please disregard my earlier note. I sent it before finishing it.
This is a spectacular video. The great German physicist, Werner Heiseberg (Nobel 1931) once remarked, “Never underestimate how much pleasure it gives a man to see what he already knows.” Your blog juxtaposes a pair of topics close to my heart. I’ve visited Tromso twice and have wonderful memories of the area. Moreover, in making calculations in my University Physics classes on Cerenkov Radiation as the result of cosmic radiation trapped in the earth’s magnetic field, I frequently introduced Northern Lights as a dramatic example. Thank you for sharing this dramatic video. (Again, please trash my earlier note, submitted essentially by accident.)

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